A concrete slab is a common structural element in buildings, where slabs of steel-reinforced concrete, e.g., between about 4 and about 20 inches t hick, are used to construct floors and ceilings in buildings. For example, in many domestic and industrial buildings, a thick concrete slab (e.g., supported on foundations or directly on the subsoil) is used to construct the ground floor of a building. Thinner slabs of concrete (e.g., between about 2 and about 6 inches) may be used for exterior pavings and the like. Also, in high-rise buildings and skyscrapers, thinner concrete slabs may form the floors and ceilings on each level.
A concrete slab may be prefabricated or poured in situ. In situ concrete slabs are typically built on a construction site using formwork (also referred to herein as a “concrete form”), which may include a type of boxing or framing into which wet concrete is poured. If a concrete slab is to be reinforced, reinforcing bars (commonly referred to as “rebars”) may be positioned within the formwork before the concrete is poured. Plastic tipped metal, or plastic bar chairs may be used to hold the rebar away from the bottom and sides of the formwork, so that, when the concrete sets, the concrete completely envelops the reinforcements. For a ground slab, the formwork may include sidewalls pushed into the ground or otherwise braced/supported. For a suspended slab, the formwork may be shaped like a tray, often supported by a temporary scaffold or the like until the concrete sets. The concrete form may be built using wooden planks and boards, plastic, steel, and the like.
The concrete form may use “kickers” or the like to hold the form in place, i.e., to stabilize or brace the concrete form. Kickers may include a wood block or board that is attached to the outside of a formwork member in a concrete form to provide stability to the structure. In formwork, a kicker may act as a haunch to take the thrust of another member. Kickers are often used once, or a relatively limited number of times, and then discarded. And because kickers often include wooden blocks or boards that could have otherwise been used in construction, discarding kickers after one use may waste valuable building material.
There remains a need for improved devices, systems, and methods for stabilizing a concrete form or other structure.